The black fabric of the Copeland shirt behaves like an indigo fabric in the way it fades and looks after wearing. The rope dye does not penetrate the core of the warp and that allows the white to come out in the same way as with indigo fabrics. It shares some of the same ingredients as real gunpowder hence the name and scent of the fabric.

The idea behind this jean was to make a weave woven so tightly that little to nothing of the white weft would be seen on the face side of the fabric. They dye the warp deeply but still keep the white core. the fabric then produces a fading range of midnight blue to pale white when worn in.